Throughout
the course of history, man has participated in sports.Whether ranging from Augustus Caesar’s days as a gladiator
in ancient Rome, to the modern day Olympics, sports have usually been held in
high esteem.Athletes must be in
prime shape to reach their full potential, and are constantly experimenting
with techniques to help them achieve such high standards.Yet playing sports often comes with a fair amount of risk involved,
from the slightest bruise to in very rare cases death.For all these injuries that fall in between, there are a
variety of surgeries and therapies, among other services offered, to help a
patient heal from these sometimes disastrous ailments.One popular method proposed today, and oftentimes even recommended, not
only for injuries but both before and after vigorous exercise, is massage
therapy for sports and related injuries.Although this type of therapy might seem to be a newfangled idea, as
one reputable web source noted, it has actually been traced to “virtually
every civilization,” including the Egyptians, Romans, and ancient Chinese (http://danke.com/
Orthodoc/text.html).Only
with the occurrence of vast advances in technology and medicine has this
practice become ‘second rate’ (http://danke.com/Orthodoc/text.html).Recently, however, massage therapy has made a comeback, as the trend in
holistic health has been climbing steadily.

The
rehabilitation process after suffering an injury can be a long and painful
road back to recovery.Certain
aspects of massage therapy have been designed to hasten this course, and
involve a number of applications that work the injured area.One popular method is the trigger point massage, which tends to lower
the occurrence of muscle spasms in the afflicted area.When this is neglected, it is often difficult and sometimes painful to
move the body.In addition, another technique of sports massage is known as
cross-fiber massage.In this
practice, the larger muscle groups are expanded and enlarged through applied
friction.In more specific cases,
a deeper friction is employed “to reduce adhesions and help create strong,
flexible repair during the healing process” (http://www.
amtamassage.org/publications/sports-massage.htm - 1).

How effective is this
therapy? What claims are made in regards to massage therapy?

The
claims made about massage therapy for sports certainly seem to add up.They include augmenting the circulation of blood to muscles, “enhanc[ing]
the immune system and…even reduc[ing] blood pressure” (http://yahoo.com/health/Alternative_
Medicine/ Alternative _ Therapies/Massage _ Therapy/).While this data appears to be far fetched, there have been studies
completed that support such assertions.One such study, one of the first of its kind, revealed a significant
decrease in the amount of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) when a massage
is administered after exercise.This
case of muscle soreness typically arises “between 8 and 24 hours after
exercise, peaks at around 48 hours, and dissipates over the course of a few
days” (Smith 93).In this study, a group of fourteen healthy males were asked
to strenuously exercise using their upper arms.Two hours later, seven of these participants were given a thirty-minute
massage by a licensed physical therapist, while the remaining seven rested
(Smith 95).The results clearly
showed a decrease in the occurrence of DOMS for those given a massage (Smith
96).In
addition, the study also tested the participants for levels of neutrophils and
creatine kinase (CK) through blood work taken repeatedly for every half hour
for eight hours and once every day afterwards by an IV (Smith 95).Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that primarily fight off
bacterial infections and aid in the anti-inflammatory process.Creatine kinase is a waste product produced by the kidneys that may
indicate muscle injury.The study revealed a decrease in the level of CK and an
extended amount of neutrophils, both positive aspects in the medical field
(Smith 93).Thus, the
athletes that received massages had a smaller amount of indicators of muscle
injuries and fewer white blood cells due to a reduced amount of inflamed
muscles.Another similar study
also revealed this same effect in regards to CK levels in massage given after
exercise (Callaghan 30).While
massage cannot completely rid the body of pain associated with exercise, this
data may prove that it reduces this pain and brings some comfort to an aching
body.

In
contrast to such studies, another was performed on athletes ten minutes prior
to exercise.Ten healthy males
were put into either the control group, which received no massage, or the “treatment
group” which did receive the massage (Callaghan 31).Certain factors were measured, including blood pressure,
cardiac output, heart rate, and lactic acid (Callaghan 31). Lactic acid is a metabolism bi-product that, when
occurring in high levels, indicates a lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues.Massage had been thought to reduce such a waste product when used prior
to exercise.However, in this
study massage had no such affect on these statistics.The treatment group performed to the same caliber as the control group
(Callaghan 31).It appears that
most studies done concerning pre-event massage in exercise come away
with the same conclusion: massage has no real effect regarding an athlete’s
performance.

There
have been reports that massage can enhance the immune system, in addition to
circulating the blood better to a person’s injuries(http://health.yahoo.com
/health/ Alternative _ Medicine / Alternative_ Therapies /Massage_Therapy/).There was not however, significant data or studies found to support
such claims for sports massage therapies, only allegations of such remarkable
benefits.Actual clients of
massage therapists have extraordinary testimonials discussing how wonderful
massage feels.Dr. Leland B.
Housman of San Diego, California, “personally states that [his therapist]
has on multiple occasions helped [him] to continue to compete at high levels
in [his] sporting activities” (http://www.sandiego-massage.com/testimonials.htm).The majority of people who are massaged during times of stress or pain
do come away with a positive attitude.There
are, on the other hand, people who should keep away from massage therapy.Exclusion criteria involve those who recently underwent surgery, those
with “ an infectious skin disease…directly over bruises, inflamed or
infected injuries…or at the sites of recent fractures or sprains” (http://health.yahoo.com/health/
Alternative_ Medicine/Alternative_Therapies/Massage_Therapy/).

Who
is presenting this information, and why?

The
people responsible for presenting this information involve a variety of
doctors, therapists and organizations.The
American Massage Therapy Association has a large website with a plethora of
information available for anyone interested in learning more about massage,
how to become a massage therapist, or where to find the best therapist in one’s
area.Other therapists have
created their own sources online to provide interested people with facts about
the services they offer and, in some cases, a positive feedback section
concerning themselves or their business.These sources mainly pertain to those who are curious about the field
or interested in the therapy as a way to relax or rehabilitate.

In conclusion, massage therapy, like many other forms of alternative
medicine, is still working its ‘kinks’ out.More studies need to be completed involving the advantages and
disadvantages concerning its use in sports.The application of “manual soft tissue manipulation” can seemingly
provide a relaxing way for an athlete to warm-up or cool down, or recover from
an injury in a timelier manner.Yet
tests done on such claims reveal both positive and negative aspects.Massage done before exercise has no real effect on the athlete’s
performance, while massage given following exercise do reduce some discomfort
and waste products produced by the body.If interested, there are hundreds of businesses and
rehabilitation clinics offering valuable information discussing massage
therapy as a resource for stress or pain.